It's important to take the time to make a list of questions to ask all contractors that you're considering to hire for your home remodeling or building project.

Depending upon the scope and size of your project, choose the questions that are relevant and important to you in order to make an informed decision. Remember, you're the boss and your goal is to find the best match and candidate for your remodeling or building project.

Pay attention to the contractors' response and reaction to your questions. Ethical contractors will be open to answering your queries; it helps clarify both parties positions. This is your money, your investment; don't hand it over blindly.

Finally, verify all the information such as license status, any disciplinary action, insurance coverage, credit standing with material suppliers, references etc.

When you've made a choice, be sure to check out their lien history with the County and court records for lawsuits. Of course, you'll ask him/her about this but you need to verify the information. Let's break it down:

General Questions

* Are they licensed and insured, and what amount of liability insurance do they carry? (Obtain a copy of the insurance policy.) Note: A Surety Bond is NOT liability insurance)

* How long have they been in business?

* Do they have experience with jobs such as yours, and can they provide you with a list of references of those jobs?

* Have they done work in your town before? (Verify with municipal planning or zoning officials)

* Do they have their own crew for some of the work, or do they rely solely on a stable of subcontractors?

* How many other jobs will they be working on simultaneously with yours, and how available will their various subcontractors be?

* How many jobs do you currently have going? How many workers are used to manage those jobs?

* Will they (the General Contractor) be working or supervising? If supervising, how much time will they be on-site each day?

* When are they available to start your project, and how long do they estimate it will take?

* Is the business a corporation or sole proprietorship? Who are the principals?
Where is your office address?(Be wary of anyone using only a post office box!)

• Do you have any legal action against you related to your work? Have you had any since being in business?

• Have you been doing business under a different name in this state or any other? Very important question and one they may not be truthful about; this is where you'll need to do your detective work.

• Have you had lawsuits filed against you regarding this business? Again, verify this with the courts.

• Have you ever declared bankruptcy? Another issue to verify with the courts.

Employees and Subcontractors

• Do you have employees, subcontractors or both?

• How long have your employees/subcontractors been working for you?

• Do they carry Workman's Compensation Insurance (required by the majority of States if they have employees) and what type of liability insurance do they have for themselves? Ask for copies of their insurance coverage to verify. This is important; don't let your Homeowners Insurance become their claim for coverage.

• Do you check to make sure your subs are licensed and insured and can you provide proof if you're hired?

Management Skills

• How often do you communicate with your customers as the job is progressing?

• Who fills in for you when you are not available?

• How often would we be able to walk through the job? How much notice would you need?

• Describe your approach to problem solving and resolving complaints regarding workers, materials, workmanship?

• We require lien releases upon each payment. Do you have any problems with that?

• How do you approach cleaning the job site daily and at the end of major stages of work?

• What safety issues do you consider when leaving the job at the end of the day? Do you keep track of weather changes in order to protect the structure?

• We have pets/children. What's the best advice you can give for keeping them safe?

• How much time will you spend on our job each week, either on site or in planning?

Finally...my favorite:

• What negative things would your worst customer say about you?

• Tell me about a customer who was unsatisfied and how the situation was resolved.

It was asked (by me) and answered by one of my favorite contractors used on our reconstruction project. Actually, I've been asked this question on personal interviews myself and thought it would be a great one to ask a potential contractor. And why not? After all, he's applying for the job and you're looking to hire the best candidate for that job.

Again, figure out which questions apply to your situation given the scope and size of your project . Frankly, regardless of the size the more you know the better off you'll be, so ask away!

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Does the contractor pick up his day laborer's at the local home improvement center?

This is a common practice among some contractors (the ones paying under the table) and a bad one at that. Do you think these workers are covered by the contractor's Workman's Comp - if he evens claims employees? Just think about it. What does he know about these people - are they even in this country legally? It's one thing to hire unskilled laborers to do clean up and tear down, for example, but are they going to be involved in waterproofing your home?

Contractor's that use unskilled laborer's to perform work that requires certain skills and training, ARE NOT screening these workers. They just take them on their word that they have the skills to perform the work and off they go to your project. Ask who is supervising the workers and get specifics on employees and workman's comp. THEN CHECK INTO IT BY CONTACTING THAT AGENCY.

Be sure to ask the contractor how many jobs he typically handles at the same time.

Get the names of a couple of suppliers (lumber yard, materials supplier, electrician) that the contractor works with regularly. You'll be checking for credit worthiness.

Ask the contractor if he's had previous licenses under different names and why.

If he has, it's likely he's had his license revoked and is using an immediate family member or a friend's license or formed a corporation to evade the laws. Follow up with your State's regulatory agency and do your research.

Who will be your main contact for the project and how often will they be checking in with you as to progress?

Does the contractor have any concerns or questions about the project or suggestions regarding materials or design?